The air gets colder, the grass freezes over and the morning get much harder to wake up.
As the last months of 2023 creep up, the weather in North Idaho has been getting chillier, which often makes it hard for students to wake up in the morning.
Alana Cook, a senior at Lakeland High School, has had to take some time to adjusting to the cold weather.
Cook hopes the snowy weather will continue to hold off until later in the year, however she is doubtful it will happen.
“It’s stupid how early it’s getting cold,” Cook said. “I think the snow should definitely wait until after Thanksgiving.”
Although snow has been scarce in North Idaho up to this point, the anticipation of the heavy downfalls are leaving many students in a frenzy.
Due to the cold weather, most days, Cook stops by a coffee stand on the way to school in order to retain some heat in the school.
“I end up spending way more money due to all of the coffees,” Cook said.
Waking up has also been a challenge for Cook as the wheather starts to chill.
Staying in bed with warm blankets and pillows seems much more easier for students than to get the motivation to start their day and go to school.
“I never want to leave my blankets in the morning, it too warm,“ Cook said.
Cook often has trouble waking up during the colder months. However, when road conditions start to get harsh, it can become annoying for students and community members in North Idaho.
Cook’s least favorite part of the cold is having to deal with “slushy” snow.
“I really hate when it’s not too cold, but cold enough that all the snow turns into slush and then it gets so cold that it makes me sick,” she said.
During the colder months, Cook often gets a stomchache or shivers from the cold weather.
Joshua Ballard, a teacher at LHS is not a big fan of the cold either.
Although the cold is not Ballard’s favorite, he knows it has to happen and there is nothing to do to stop it.
“I’m glad it hasn’t been to cold,” he said. “It should be a mild winter.”
However, mornings for Ballard can sometimes feel miserable having to wake up when it is cold.
The shock to the body can feel very overwhelming, especially early in the morning,
“Blankets are so warm and then you have to go outside and its all dark, so it’s just a shock to the body,” Ballard said.
His classroom has not had any issues with the cold, but he does recall coldness being an issue from his previous year of teaching. However, with a change in classroom, Ballard is hoping to avoid a cold room this year.
Personally, I would much rather be in the warm weather than trotting around in snow. The colder months are harder to spend time outside and less activities are open. Waking up for school is much harder when the weather is freezing outside.
Being cold in school also takes away focus from my school work, due to my only focus when cold is to retain body heat. With the colder weather comes less sunshine, less vitamin D and less motivation.
